What day is it again?
As we continue to stay indoors and work from home, the hours – or indeed days – may feel like they are starting to blend into each other. In this new Groundhog Day-esque existence, Sunday and Tuesdays and Thursdays meld into one, punctuated by long, gaping weekends.
You may, as a result, be struggling to stay motivated or productive, or to manage your time as effectively as you might have done in a rigid office environment. Enter the Pomodoro timer.
Break up your day
A time-management method developed by Francesco Cirillo in the late 1980s, the Pomodoro technique does not, as the name may suggest, encourage excessive pasta consumption.
What it does is break your working day into 25 minute intervals, separated by five-minute breaks. After four 25-minute “pomodori”, there is a 15-minute break. Used by millions of people around the world to improve productivity, the method is based on the idea that frequent breaks can improve mental agility. The timers can be downloaded for free from multiple sources online.
The technique encourages you to focus fully on a single task for an allocated amount of time, rather than allowing your attention to wander aimlessly. All you have to do is set your task and then vow to give it your undivided attention for 25 minutes. If you realise mid-task that there’s something else that needs to be done, simply make a note of it, and then continue on. When it’s time for your break, make sure to distract yourself for five minutes – make a cup of tea, walk around your living room or head to your balcony for some fresh air.
Once you get the hang of the Pomodoro technique, you’ll get better at estimating how long certain tasks take, and organising your pomodori accordingly. You’ll also learn that there are very few emails or calls that can’t wait to be answered.
If the 25-minute timeframe doesn’t work for you, there are plenty of tools online that will allow you to customise the technique – the important thing is to break your working day into manageable chunks, be mindful of how you are spending your time and to get those much-needed breaks in between.
Do the things you dread first
Maybe it’s an unpleasant phone call that you’ve been putting off. Or some much-hated admin that has lurked at the top of your to-do list for days. Or that project that you don’t want to start because it feels too overwhelming.
Whatever it is, tackle it first. Otherwise it’ll just become a distraction as you try to get through your working day. You might be tempted to ease into your day by getting the easy things out of the way, but there’s nothing more satisfying than setting out with a sense of achievement (as opposed to a sense of dread).
Set a schedule
When you’re working from home, it can be tempting to have a little lie-in, or turn breakfast into an extended affair, or work later into the evenings. But setting a rigid schedule and sticking to it will help you stay focused and productive. As we are all currently confined to our homes, it is more important than ever to create a clear differentiator between work time and non-work time.
Maintain a clutter-free space
A few weeks in and your “home office” may have started looking a little messy, which may be impacting your state of mind. Keep your work space clutter-free and simple – a laptop, phone and a note pad are all you really need to get things done.
Plan for tomorrow
Before you sign off for the day, spend a few minutes thinking about what you need to achieve the following day. Make a short list and then shut off completely. This means you’ll start your day with a sense of focus.
Consume less information
We live in an age when we are inundated with information, but if you want to maintain focus, you’ll have to start being a lot more selective about what information you consume and when you consume it. Start thinking about what value you are getting out of the information you are consuming – and then be a lot stricter with yourself.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Timeline
2012-2015
The company offers payments/bribes to win key contracts in the Middle East
May 2017
The UK SFO officially opens investigation into Petrofac’s use of agents, corruption, and potential bribery to secure contracts
September 2021
Petrofac pleads guilty to seven counts of failing to prevent bribery under the UK Bribery Act
October 2021
Court fines Petrofac £77 million for bribery. Former executive receives a two-year suspended sentence
December 2024
Petrofac enters into comprehensive restructuring to strengthen the financial position of the group
May 2025
The High Court of England and Wales approves the company’s restructuring plan
July 2025
The Court of Appeal issues a judgment challenging parts of the restructuring plan
August 2025
Petrofac issues a business update to execute the restructuring and confirms it will appeal the Court of Appeal decision
October 2025
Petrofac loses a major TenneT offshore wind contract worth €13 billion. Holding company files for administration in the UK. Petrofac delisted from the London Stock Exchange
November 2025
180 Petrofac employees laid off in the UAE
European arms
Known EU weapons transfers to Ukraine since the war began: Germany 1,000 anti-tank weapons and 500 Stinger surface-to-air missiles. Luxembourg 100 NLAW anti-tank weapons, jeeps and 15 military tents as well as air transport capacity. Belgium 2,000 machine guns, 3,800 tons of fuel. Netherlands 200 Stinger missiles. Poland 100 mortars, 8 drones, Javelin anti-tank weapons, Grot assault rifles, munitions. Slovakia 12,000 pieces of artillery ammunition, 10 million litres of fuel, 2.4 million litres of aviation fuel and 2 Bozena de-mining systems. Estonia Javelin anti-tank weapons. Latvia Stinger surface to air missiles. Czech Republic machine guns, assault rifles, other light weapons and ammunition worth $8.57 million.
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HIJRA
Starring: Lamar Faden, Khairiah Nathmy, Nawaf Al-Dhufairy
Director: Shahad Ameen
Rating: 3/5
Dirham Stretcher tips for having a baby in the UAE
Selma Abdelhamid, the group's moderator, offers her guide to guide the cost of having a young family:
• Buy second hand stuff
They grow so fast. Don't get a second hand car seat though, unless you 100 per cent know it's not expired and hasn't been in an accident.
• Get a health card and vaccinate your child for free at government health centres
Ms Ma says she discovered this after spending thousands on vaccinations at private clinics.
• Join mum and baby coffee mornings provided by clinics, babysitting companies or nurseries.
Before joining baby classes ask for a free trial session. This way you will know if it's for you or not. You'll be surprised how great some classes are and how bad others are.
• Once baby is ready for solids, cook at home
Take the food with you in reusable pouches or jars. You'll save a fortune and you'll know exactly what you're feeding your child.
F1 The Movie
Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem
Director: Joseph Kosinski
Rating: 4/5
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
IF YOU GO
The flights: FlyDubai offers direct flights to Catania Airport from Dubai International Terminal 2 daily with return fares starting from Dh1,895.
The details: Access to the 2,900-metre elevation point at Mount Etna by cable car and 4x4 transport vehicle cost around €57.50 (Dh248) per adult. Entry into Teatro Greco costs €10 (Dh43). For more go to www.visitsicily.info
Where to stay: Hilton Giardini Naxos offers beachfront access and accessible to Taormina and Mount Etna. Rooms start from around €130 (Dh561) per night, including taxes.
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Dr Amal Khalid Alias revealed a recent case of a woman with daughters, who specifically wanted a boy.
A semen analysis of the father showed abnormal sperm so the couple required IVF.
Out of 21 eggs collected, six were unused leaving 15 suitable for IVF.
A specific procedure was used, called intracytoplasmic sperm injection where a single sperm cell is inserted into the egg.
On day three of the process, 14 embryos were biopsied for gender selection.
The next day, a pre-implantation genetic report revealed four normal male embryos, three female and seven abnormal samples.
Day five of the treatment saw two male embryos transferred to the patient.
The woman recorded a positive pregnancy test two weeks later.
Student Of The Year 2
Director: Punit Malhotra
Stars: Tiger Shroff, Tara Sutaria, Ananya Pandey, Aditya Seal
1.5 stars
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Xpanceo
Started: 2018
Founders: Roman Axelrod, Valentyn Volkov
Based: Dubai, UAE
Industry: Smart contact lenses, augmented/virtual reality
Funding: $40 million
Investor: Opportunity Venture (Asia)
SPEC%20SHEET%3A%20APPLE%20M3%20MACBOOK%20AIR%20(13%22)
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The specs: 2019 Haval H6
Price, base: Dh69,900
Engine: 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder
Transmission: Seven-speed automatic
Power: 197hp @ 5,500rpm
Torque: 315Nm @ 2,000rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 7.0L / 100km